Parents launch campaign to defend education with Michael Rosen as patron

Today's message was clear

A new campaign, ''Parents Defending Education' was set up this afternoon at a well-attended meeting in London addressed by several parent groups. The campaign was launched in reaction to the Government's White Paper on education which includes the forced academisation of primary schools and removal of parent governors, and increasing parental concern over the impact on children of high stakes testing.

Speaking for the NUT, Deputy General Secretary Kevin Courtney, said that the NUT had not always 'got it right with parents' in the past but wanted to work with them in the current crisis. It was nonsense that parents had no democratic say in whether their children's school should academise or in the decision about which academy provider to was chosen if academisation went ahead.

He stressed that any parents' campaign should be completely independent of teachers and should not be directed by them.  It was clear to me that the angry and articulate parents who spoke at the meeting would be fiercely independent.

The launch statement made an initial five points:

• No forced academies - no privatisation
• No more 'high stakes' testing - take the pressure off our children
• No more cuts - don't impose austerity on our children
• Ensure a good school place for every child - with a properly qualified teacher
• Defend parents; democratic rights - in schools and at local government level

It was announced that children's author, Michael Rosen, Professor of Children's Literature and a parent would be the campaign's first patron.

This is the full launch statement:

The recent publication of the education White Paper has lifted the lid on government plans for education. The plans concealed from us before the election are now menacingly clear. We have had enough! We want out children to enjoy and love learning. So we want to rescue our schools from the grip of a series of policies which have affected every aspect of education, from testing to funding, from nurseries to post-16. We also want an end to privatisation and austerity in schools.

Our schools don't belong to the government. And our schools don't belong to the trusts, charities and academy chains. They belong to our children, to the community, to the parents, to the teachers and support staff and future generation.  We recognise government has an important role but it cannot impose its vision on our children without our consent.

Therefore, we are launching a 'Parents Defending Education' campaign today in order to reassert the rights of parents and engage in the debate about what sort of education we want for our children. None of the plans outlined in the White Paper were put to the electorate at the last election. The government has no mandate. Accordingly we intend to campaign to defeat the White Paper and other key aspects of the government's education policy. Parents need to stand up for education, stand up for themselves and stand up for our children.

Initially we have five main points:

• No forced academies - no privatisation
• No more 'high stakes' testing - take the pressure off our children
• No more cuts - don't impose austerity on our children
• Ensure a good school place for every child - with a properly qualified teacher
• Defend parents; democratic rights - in schools and at local government level 

We know there are other very important and connected issues, such as the impact on children with Special Educational Needs and from economically and socially disadvantaged families. We will work with parents to develop a response to these areas of concern.

We intent to create a delegate based steering committee which will help us unite and focus our campaigning work together to maximise its impact across the country. We also intend to broaden the basis of our campaign as quickly and widely as possible. We want to work with all groups and organisations who share similar objectives. We will also discuss plans for a national campaign conference for parents and the possibility of a national demonstration.

We are delighted to announce that children's author, Professor of Children's Literature and parent, Michael Rosen, has agreed to be our first patron. We urge parents in every school, in every village, in every town and in every city to meet, discuss and get organise din the next 4 weeks. We will provide resources to support this as quickly as possible via our Facebook page.

For further information about this statement and to register for the steering committee on 21st May pleas email: parentsdefendeducation@gmail.com  Facebook: Parents Defending Education

If you can help, please contact us.

Meanwhile a parent campaign for a children's strike on May 3rd is receiving much support on social media.